Apparatus for and method of exciting electrical oscillations



May 12, 1931. T. c. RIVES 1,305,137 APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF EJXCITINIG ELECTRICAL OSCILLAI'IONS Filed June .20, 1927 Cal respect to Patented May 12, 1931 7 UNITED STATES TOM C. RIVES, OF NEW HAVEN, vCON'N'EC'JPI|I(.'HJ".II'

ArrAnA'r'os non, dim

Application filed. June 20,

This invention relates in general to radio.

telegraphy and telephony, and more particularly to an apparatus for and a method of exciting high reqluency electrical oscillations.

An object of. my invention is to replace the conventional three-electrode vacuum tube particularly in transmitting circuits with a four electrode arc in order to rovide in a high degree of perfection uni orm oscillations by means of a simple, economical, and

continuusly reliable apparatus of long life and applicable to various uses.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter set forth, certain embodiments thereof being shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a 'agrammatioal showing of the four-electrode arc with an accompanying circuit. 7

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical showing of my device as applied to a transmitting circuit.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is provided an arc chamber 5 for containing the four. electrodes 1, 2, 3, and 4. Electrodes 1 and 2 are the electrodes of the arc itself and should be of suitablematerials, such as carbon for 2 and watercooled copper for 1. Electrodes 3 and 4 are the control electrodes and should be made of any suitable material, preferably water cooled to enable them to withstand the heat of the are between electrodes 1 and 2 and also to assist in the operation of the device by preventing either of them reaching such a temperature as will allow of its giving off electrons and thus possibly becoming the cathode of an arc. Generators 6, 7 and 8, although'not a part of the device are shown to assist in explaining its operation. They supply the electric energy to the device and itis assumed that their voltage may be varied at will.

Now if an arc-1s struck between electrodes 1 and 2, it will be maintained by a generator 6 which is generating a suitable potential E Let electrode 1 be at a positive potential with electrode 2. Let the voltage E 0 generator 7 and the voltage E of generator METHOD OF EXCITTNG ELECTRICAL OSCILLA'IIONS 1927. Serial No. 200,180.

8 be zero at the start. Now letthe voltage 7 E of generator 8 be increased making electrode 4 positive with respect to electrode 2. When a suitable value is reached, a part of the electrons composing the current stream in the are between electrodes 1 and 2 will be attracted to electrode 4 by reason of the electro-static strain set up between electrodes 2 and 4. An appreciable amount of current can be caused to flow to electrode 4 and through ammeter 9, generator 8 and through electrode 2 and back to 4 before the arc is actually broken between electrodes 1 and 2 and set up between electrodes 2 and 4. When the potential of generator 8 has been adjusted to such a value that a suitable stable current is flowing to electrode 4 and thus through its attendant circuit, the'potential of enerator 7 may be adjusted making electrode 3 negative with respect to electrode 2, thus setting up an electro-static strain, that, due to the geometry of the device and the polarity and strength of the respective potentials on electrodes 3 and 4, tends to neutralize the electro-static strain caused by the positive potential on electrode 4. This tends to reduce the electron flow of electrode 4 and thru its attendant circuit. If electrode 4 is maintained at a constant positive potential and the negative potential of electrode 3 varied thru certain limits, there will be a corresponding variation of current thru electrode 4 and its attendant circuit. lhe potential of electrode 3 can be made so highly negative that no current will flow thru electrode 4 and if still further increased, the are between electrodes 1 and 2 may be blown out.

This current flow to electrode 4 and thru its i will tend to divide between electrodes 1 and 4 and an equal amount of current flow thru each. There is no tendency for the arc to break between electrodes 1 and 2 and start between electrodes 1 and 3 due to the fact that it is nearly impossible to transfer an are from one negative electrode to another, whileit is relatively easy to transfer an are from one positive e ectrode to another. For like reasons there will never be an arc between electrode 3 and any of the other electrodes since it is negative with res ect to all of them. Particularly will this true if electrodes 1, 3, and 4:, are kept at a low temperature by some cooling system since the negative electrode must be at a high enough temperature to give off electrons before it will support the are.

To secure stable operation of this device, it may be necessary to install some form of magnetic field that will tend to keep the are playing between or on electrodes 1 and 4. A solenold wound around electrode 2 as a center would tend to have this effect. Such a winding is shown at S, Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, connected in series with the arc and its generator.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a device very similar in action to the three electrode tube. The are between electrodes land 2 is the electron supplying device just as thefilament of the tube, electrode 3 plays a part similar to the grid of the tube and electrode 4 acts in a manner similiar to the plate of the tube.

It is anticipated that the materials of' which the electrodes are made and the atmosphere of, the arc chamber will both play a large part in the successful operation of this device, but the present invention is not limited to any specific materials.

The action of this device clearly demonstrates that it may be used in transmitting circuits similar to those now used with the three electrode vacuum tube. Such a circuit arrangement is shown in Figure 2. By means of my device, radio frequency currents can be set up and maintained in such a circuit. The device is of great value as it ofiers a cheap substitute for the large and expensive vacuum tubes used in transmitting circuits at the present. The life of the large tubes is to a large extent dependent upon the life of the filament and in this device the filament has been replaced by an are between electrodes which may be replaced at will from inexpensive materials.

I claim:

for, whereby said control electrodes are adapted to attract, repel, and thus regulate the electron flow caused by the arcing of said are electrodes in accordance with the variance of voltages applied to the various electrodes, and means for automatically discontinuing current flow in the control electrodes upon the blowing out of said are electrodes.

2. A means for generating controlled electrical oscillations including a pair of arcing electrodes, a positively charged electrode positioned opposite the negative electrode of said arcing electrodes, the charge in said positive electrode being sufiicient to cause a stron electronic flow thereto, and a variably negatlvely charged electrode positioned opposite the positive electrode of said arcing electrodes said, negatively charged electrode regulating the electronic flow between the aforementioned negative arcing electrode and said positive electrode by increasing the electronic attraction of said positive arcing electrode.

3. The method of generating controlled electrical oscillations consisting in creating an electrical are, applying a positive charge to the cathode of the are causing an electronic flow, applying a variable negative charge to the anode of the are causing an increase in the electronic flow between the cathode and anode of the arc and a consequent diminishing of the electronic flow created by the positive charge ap lied to the cathode of the are all depen g on the strength of the said variable negative char e, and applying the electronic flow created y the positive charge to a circuit capable of supporting an oscillating current.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

TOM C. RIVES.

1. An apparatus for producing electrical V electrodes being of opposite polarity and having variable voltage supply means there- 

